Strong design can polarize, but Flex is a practical crossover alternative

By Kevin Mio, The Gazette

Originally published: September 12, 2011

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MEDIUM

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Jim Leggett

The Flex is a unique vehicle in the Ford lineup. Conceived as the Ford Fairlane (there’s a familiar name from the past) and debuted at the 2005 Chicago Auto Show, this is one of those rare concepts that made it through the production process relatively uncompromised, hitting the streets still with its oh-wow factor intact.

This is not to say that the exterior design of the Flex is going to be admired by everyone. Strong design polarizes opinions by nature and the Flex is what I would categorize as a strong design.

Design:

The first thing I noticed when walking up to our Titanium Edition, added to the line-up for 2011, is how long, low and wide the Flex appears to be.

Most of the visible lines on the Flex are horizontal; the roof, the windows and most notably the corrugated sheet metal of the doors. Even the front grille is made up of three large horizontal slats.

On the Titanium Edition, those grille slats are blacked out like all of the trim and badging instead of chrome, giving the Flex a sophisticated, slightly militaristic look.

The front end is framed with bi-xenon headlight clusters and a set of projector-type driving lamps. With a bold F L E X across the leading edge of the hood, the Flex seems to be trying to correct being mistaken as a Range Rover at a glance.

The entire roof and pillars are painted a gloss black in contrast to the silver bodywork. With the dark tinted privacy glass on the side and rear windows, the Flex Titanium cuts quite the exclusive look.

Rolling along on 20-inch five-spoke painted lustre nickel wheels, standard on the Flex Titanium, the low profile tires and rims further accentuate to low-rider look.

One very intriguing detail is that there are no visible rocker panels beneath the four doors. The outer door skin kicks out slightly at the bottom but then folds back towards the centre of the vehicle. This dramatically reduces the width of the door sill and banishes dirty pant legs forever.

The cabin also follows a different drummer than the rest of the Ford family. The dashboard continues with the horizontal line theme but I found the overall look to be a little bit conservative. Ford has put a lot of technology in the Flex but it’s not apparent in the displays and controls. There’s lots and lots of black plastic, nicely textured and tactile but it’s sombre.

Lots of technological highlights come standard or are available on the Flex, including park assist, pull-drift compensation, rear-view camera and a refrigerated console to cool beverages.

Performance:

Introduced in 2009, the available 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 delivers power comparable to a normally aspirated V8 engine with the fuel economy of a V6 with its unique twin-turbocharged, direct-injection strategy. (Flex with EcoBoost is available on the SEL, Limited and Titanium series)

The EcoBoost engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that offers the driver a choice between fully automatic operation and manual control.

All-wheel drive is optional on the Flex SEL, Limited and Titanium with the standard 3.5-litre V-6 and standard on those with EcoBoost. The AWD option enhances the vehicle’s capability in a variety of weather conditions and is fully automatic, using an advanced array of internal electromechanical clutches to efficiently distribute torque between front and rear wheels as needed.

Driving/utility:

The 2011 Ford Flex Titanium is one slick people-mover. The lower ride height makes ingress & egress very easy and as a bonus helps improve handling. The EcoBoost engines are a technical triumph for Ford but didn’t mistake a Flex for a flyer. It weighs in at 2,170 kg so those 355 ponies have their work cut out for them. The Flex is my no means slow but with seven passengers aboard and their luggage you won’t be winning any stoplight Grand Prix.

The third-row 50/50 split fold-flat bench makes for a very large cargo space that’s super easy to reconfigure back to passenger service.

If you’re looking for a stylish vehicle that is different yet practical, the Ford Flex deserves your attention. With four models to choose from, they offer a pleasant alternative to the SUV style crossovers. Starting prices are $28,344 and our Titanium model started at $45,188. Estimated fuel consumption is rated at 13.2L/100 km City and 9.2L/100 km Highway.

It’s big and bulky, but the Flex also has style

Kevin Mio

The Gazette

Ford considers its 2011 Flex a crossover even though it is larger that the recently redesigned Explorer, which the automaker lists as a sport utility vehicle.

The usual assumption is that a crossover is smaller than its SUV cousins, but that logic doesn’t apply here.

To be honest, I tested the Explorer and Flex very close together and I found myself wondering why Ford has two large, seven-seat vehicles on the market.

The Flex was a standout vehicle when it made its debut because of its styling, but with the Explorer recently undergoing major styling improvements, it has overtaken the Flex as the best-looking SUV/Crossover from Ford in my opinion.

But there is obviously a market for the Flex judging by how many I see parked in garages in my West Island neighbourhood.

I enjoyed the Flex the first time I tested it several years ago, and not much has changed since then. Sure it’s big and bulky, what with its rather boxy look, but it offers room for seven passengers and lots of cargo in a stylish and – when fully equipped – luxurious setting.

In base form, the Flex enters the market just under $30,000, but a top of the line and well-equipped Flex can go for nearly double that price.

The Flex tester was one such case, being the top echelon Titanium all-wheel-drive trim with a starting price of $49,599.

After adding more than $7,000 in options and the delivery charge, the price hits $58,499 – before taxes.

The options added to the tester include a panoramic sunroof that keeps the cabin well lit ($1,750) and the dual headrest DVD entertainment system, a $2,100 option that will keep the kids calm on long trips.

The Flex stands out because of its design for several reasons. Front and centre is the wide and tall front end with the three-bar chrome grille that is now becoming a signature of Ford models.

However, on the Titanium tester, the usual oval Ford logo is removed and the word Flex appears on the lip of the hood. There’s also some black trim on the headlights and behind the grille giving it a more mysterious look.

The three horizontal lines on the side panels – meant to give the impression of an old-style Woodie – are still there, flowing to the rear hatch, which is dominated by a large chrome panel across the door.

The Flex Titanium, with the optional panoramic sunroof, has a lot of glass, which makes the sightlines pretty good for a vehicle this size.

The interior of the Flex is attractive without being too flashy, and the black leather seats with Alcantara inserts give it a modern yet classy feel.

One positive point when compared to the new Explorer is that the centre console is filled with wonderful buttons and knobs to control the radio and ventilation system instead of the soft-touch technology used in the Explorer.

The analog clock and large LCD screen in the centre console is a nice mix of new and old, which is a common theme in the Flex.

Of course, there is much more modern than old in this vehicle, what with the navigation system, steering-wheel mounted controls, the refrigerated console on my tester and, of course, the DVD entertainment system making the Flex a very comfortable and capable way to move your family around the city or country.

Performance

The Flex lineup is powered by two engines. There’s a base 3.5-litre V6 engine and a 3.5L EcoBoost V6 in the Titanium AWD I tested, as well as the Limited AWD EcoBoost model. Equipped with a twin turbocharger, the EcoBoost ramps up the power.

In base form, the engine delivers 262 horsepower and 248 foot-pounds of torque. Once the turbos are bolted on, power goes up to 355 horsepower and 350 foot-pounds of torque.

Surprisingly, that extra power doesn’t come with a penalty at the pump. In fact, when compared to all-wheel drive models equipped with the base engine, the turbocharged EcoBoost engines are more efficient.

The base engine is rated at 13.4 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 9.0 L/100 km in the city. The EcoBoost AWD models are rated at 13.1 L/100 km and 9.2 L/100 km.

During my time with the Flex, I could only do as good as 14.9 L/100 km.

Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic, but the Titanium tester comes with the SelectShift feature.

The engine and transmission combination serves the Flex well, putting the power to the pavement through the 20-inch polished aluminum wheels on the Titanium model.

Driving/utility

For a vehicle this size, and with a turbocharged engine, the passenger cabin is surprisingly quiet on the road. The ride is also very smooth thanks to four-wheel independent suspension, and front and rear anti-roll bars.

Being a taller vehicle, you have good lines of vision out of the Flex, especially out front, which is a good thing because of the long hood.

As with the Explorer, accessing the rear-most seats can be challenging and should be left to the more nimble members of the family.

Cargo volume is a big thing for a vehicle this size, but when seating seven, you are limited to 14.7 cubic feet of space, which is about the size of a sedan’s trunk. Stowing the rear bench – made easy by the optional power functions – gives you ample room with 43.2 cubic feet of space. And should you need the room, removing the second row of seats gives you 83.2 cubic feet to fill to your heart’s content.